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DAMASCUS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government forces have taken 93 percent of the rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo, bringing prospect for settlement of the lingering Syrian issue, the country's national TV said Saturday evening.
The falling of the rebels in the key battleground marks a crucial juncture in the course of Syrian war, with expectations that the recapture would help to change the whole prospect of the prolonged crisis in the Middle East's war-torn country.
KEEP POUNDING
The majority of the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of Aleppo have recently fallen to government forces, which are fighting to wrest control over the few remaining neighborhoods.
Syrian government forces have liberated 52 neighborhoods from militants, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
In the last four days, the Syrian territory controlled by rebels has decreased by one third, Sergei Rudskoi, chief of the main operational directorate of the Russian Armed Forces' General Staff said Friday.
In the last 24 hours, he added, 1,096 militants have left Aleppo voluntarily, and 953 of them were pardoned under the amnesty declared by the Syrian government.
The Syrian rebel fighters captured eastern Aleppo in 2012. The government troops and allied forces have recently launched a major offensive to retake the city.
Meanwhile, at least 3,000 civilians fled the rebel-held areas of Sukari, Fardos and Salahuddien in eastern Aleppo toward government-controlled areas west of the city on Saturday, a military source told Xinhua.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has noted that his army will take Aleppo from the rebels' hands, adding the recapture will change the course of the battles in Syria.
Analysts believed that the expected retake which earns the government forces advantages in the war will have a profound impact on the direction of Syrian situation.
They said that with this major triumph, the government can either follow up the offensive and broaden the lead, or take an upper hand if the rebels agree to come back to the table.
CALLS FOR TALKS
Syria's Foreign Ministry said Friday that the government is ready to resume the inter-Syrian talks "without preconditions or foreign intervention," in response to the latest comments of U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, who told reporters recently that it's about time to look seriously into the possibility of reviving political talks on Syria.
Still, the ministry said the U.N. envoy didn't specify a date for the resumption of the talks, which have been suspended since last May.
A Chinese envoy to the United Nations Friday called on the international community including the U.N. to maintain the overarching direction of seeking a political solution to the Syria issue.
"All efforts made should aim at facilitating the work of four tracks, namely a resumption of ceasefire, political negotiations, joint fight against terrorism and humanitarian assistance," said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the U.N., adding that the efforts should be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led.
The appeal made at a U.N. General Assembly meeting on Syria at which a resolution demanding unhindered and unconditional humanitarian access throughout Syria was adopted.
"Any unilateral attempt to exert pressure or to politicize humanitarian issues will only cause further turbulence in the situation rather than bringing the situation around," he added.
Moscow and Washington have resumed consultations recently on the Syrian settlement after the U.S. suspended dialogue with Russia early October.
On the other hand, the U.S. said it will send 200 additional troops including special operations forces to Syria in the military campaign against the Islamic State (IS).
"These uniquely skilled operators will join the 300 U.S. special operations forces already in Syria, to continue organizing, training, equipping and otherwise enabling capable, motivated, local forces to take the fight to ISIL," a Pentagon statement quoted U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter as saying, referring to another acronym of the extremist group.
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